One final race remains before Formula 1’s August shutdown.
As mandated by the sport’s regulations, teams are required to take a 14-day break in July or August, during which no F1-related activity can take place. Factories must be closed, wind tunnels remain turned off, and no production or development of car parts, test parts, or tools can take place.
This also applies to engine and power unit manufacturers.
“We are not allowed to work, think, or do anything that could make an F1 car go quicker,” described Mercedes Technical Director James Allison.
“It basically means we get to go home and have a holiday for 14 consecutive days!”
Until then, however, we have one last Grand Prix, the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend. Set at the upgraded Hungaroring — often described as “Monaco without the walls” — this last race before the break comes at a fascinating time for several teams and drivers. Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull remain locked in a three-way fight for second behind McLaren, while the rest of the grid is clustered together in a thrilling midfield battle.
On the Drivers’ Championship side of things, after Lando Norris closed to within eight points of him following the British Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri’s bounce-back win at the Belgian Grand Prix doubled his advantage over his McLaren teammate.
And of course, a return to Hungary brings back some interesting memories for the McLaren duo. Last year, Piastri won his first F1 Grand Prix, in a race marked by team orders given to Norris to swap places with his teammate, to return Piastri to P1 after a series of pit stops.
Here is your home for all of SB Nation’s coverage of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Lando Norris threads the strategy needle to secure a win and jolt his championship hopes
Photo by Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThe first half of the Formula 1 season came to a close Sunday with the Hungarian Grand Prix.
And there is much to discuss.
Read Article >Lewis Hamilton declares ‘hopefully I’ll be back’ after difficult Hungarian Grand Prix
Photo by Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesLewis Hamilton’s comments after a difficult qualifying session at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the Ferrari driver called himself “useless” and suggested that the team needed another driver, drew attention around the Formula 1 world.
His harsh assessment of his performance continued on Sunday.
Read Article >F1 Hungarian Grand Prix: Lando Norris holds off Oscar Piastri to take the checkered flag
Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty ImagesAfter McLaren dominated all three practice sessions as well as the first two segments of qualifying, the wind shifted for Q3 on Saturday at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
So too did the fight for pole position.
Read Article >F1 Hungarian Grand Prix: What is the starting order for today’s F1 race?
Photo by Kym Illman/Getty ImagesCharles Leclerc shocked the Formula 1 world to take pole position for today’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
But he will have several very fast cars in his rear-view mirrors when the lights go out, starting with the quick McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri alongside him in P2, and Lando Norris right behind him in P3.
Read Article >Hungarian Grand Prix tire strategy options
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty ImagesCharles Leclerc surprised everyone, including himself, when he took pole position for the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Beating them over one lap is one thing, but keeping those two fast McLarens behind him is another.
Read Article >Lewis Hamilton offers brutal assessment in Hungary: ‘I’m useless, absolutely useless’
Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty ImagesIn a sport where every tenth of a second matters, Formula 1 drivers are often their own worst critics.
That was certainly the case for a seven-time champion Saturday at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Read Article >F1 qualifying results: Charles Leclerc shocks McLaren at the Hungarian Grand Prix
Photo by Alastair Staley/LAT ImagesIf the first two hours of practice are any indication, McLaren looks unstoppable at the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix. Lando Norris topped the timing sheets in both FP1 and FP2, with teammate Oscar Piastri on his heels in both sessions in P2.
But the beauty of this sport is that fortunes can, and often, change with one perfect lap.
Read Article >Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri lead the way in FP1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix
Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty ImagesThe first practice session ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix is in the books.
And as has been the case for most of the 2025 Formula 1 season, the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri led the way.
Read Article >Charles Leclerc ‘very happy’ with Fred Vasseur’s new deal, and his sense of humor
Photo by Alastair Staley/LAT ImagesIn recent weeks, two rumors dominated the Formula 1 paddock.
Both were put to rest on Thursday ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Read Article >Max Verstappen confirms his Red Bull F1 future
Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty ImagesAfter weeks of speculation and rumor, Max Verstappen has made it official.
He is staying at Red Bull for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Read Article >Ferrari and Frederic Vasseur reach agreement on new ‘multiple-year contract’
Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty ImagesThe tenure of Frederic Vasseur as Team Principal at Ferrari has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks, as Italian media have speculated that he is on the verge of being fired by the Formula 1 team.
Ferrari put that speculation to rest on Thursday, announcing a “multiple-year contract” extension for the Ferrari boss.
Read Article >VCARB looking for more points at the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix
Photo by Andy Hone/LAT ImagesThe battle in the Formula 1 midfield remains tight ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Williams leads the way in this fight for fifth with 70 points, followed by Sauber with 43. That kicks off a cluster of teams jammed together in the F1 Constructors’ Standings, as Visa Cash App Racing Bulls sit seventh with 41 points, Aston Martin sits in eighth with 36, Haas checks in at ninth with 35, and Alpine rounds out the grid in tenth with 20.
But looking ahead to the Hungaroring, VCARB believes the circuit’s layout could prove beneficial for them in this five-way fight.
Read Article >Max Verstappen is locked into his toughest streak in years
Photo by Jayce Illman/Getty ImagesWhile Max Verstappen claimed victory in the F1 Sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend, he only managed a fourth-place finish in the main event on Sunday. Verstappen started in P4 when the lights went out, and while he gave it every effort to chase down Charles Leclerc in the final laps of the race, that effort came up short, and Verstappen was left to watch a Grand Prix podium celebration without him for the third race in a row.
Something that has not happened in his career since before he became a F1 Drivers’ Champion.
Read Article >Pierre Gasly anticipating a ‘relentless’ F1 Hungarian Grand Prix
Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty ImagesWith points in the two most recent races, Alpine heads to the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix with a little momentum despite sitting tenth in the Constructors’ Championship standings.
But the driver responsible for those points anticipates a “relentless” Hungarian Grand Prix.
Read Article >Ayao Komatsu has ‘no doubt’ Haas will be in the fight at the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix
Photo by Peter Fox/LAT ImagesThe Hungaroring, site of this weekend’s Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, has often been described as “Monaco without the walls.” The comparison lies in the high-downforce nature of the circuit, coupled with the difficulties in overtaking, which put an emphasis on qualifying performance.
That comparison also has Haas feeling confident heading into the week.
Read Article >The 6 biggest storylines for the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix
Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty ImagesFresh off a dramatic Belgian Grand Prix, the Formula 1 world heads to the revamped Hungaroring (more on that in a moment) for the 40th Hungarian Grand Prix.
The final race before the grid will go silent for the annual summer shutdown.
Read Article >Will Lewis Hamilton win a Grand Prix this season with Ferrari?
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty ImagesFriday and Saturday were as difficult as it gets for Lewis Hamilton at the Belgian Grand Prix.
After being eliminated in SQ1 on Friday and then in Q1 on Saturday, due to a pair of “unacceptable” mistakes, Hamilton was left at a loss for words and apologized to his new team at Ferrari. “Then from my side, another mistake, so I’ve really got to look internally. I’ve got to apologize to my team, because that’s just unacceptable to be out in both Q1s. It’s a very, very poor performance from myself,” the seven-time Drivers’ Champion told Sky Sports F1 after qualifying on Saturday.
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